Global wheat production could benefit from closing the genetic yield gap

Global food security requires food production to be increased in the coming decades. The closure of any existing genetic yield gap (Y-ig) by genetic improvement could increase crop yield potential and global production. Here we estimated present global wheat Y-ig, covering all wheat-growing environments and major producers, by optimizing local wheat cultivars using the wheat model Sirius. The estimated mean global Y-ig was 51%, implying that global wheat production could benefit greatly from exploiting the untapped global Y-ig through the use of optimal cultivar designs, utilization of the vast variation available in wheat genetic resources, application of modern advanced breeding tools, and continuous improvements of crop and soil management. The wheat genetic yield gap globally ranges from 30% to 70%, indicating current wheat yields are substantially below achievable genetic yield potentials. There is potential to close the existing genetic yield gap with crop genetic improvement and adaption.

Automated summary

Closing the existing genetic yield gap in global wheat production has the potential to significantly increase crop yield and address issues of global food security.